aed Hindash/The Star-LedgerGov. Chris Christie today rejected a bill that would have granted criminal immunity from arrest and prosecution to those who call 911 to report a drug overdose.

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie today rejected a bill that would have granted criminal immunity from arrest and prosecution to those who call 911 to report a drug overdose. The legislation was modeled after a law exempting callers who report alcohol overdoses.

The governor, a former U.S. attorney, said in his veto message to the Legislature that the bill was too narrowly focused on encouraging more reporting of drug overdoses, rather than other aspects such as drug abuse deterrence, violence prevention and public safety.

"This bill as drafted ... fails to carefully consider all the interests that must be balanced when crafting immunities to the protections provided in our criminal laws," Christie said.

In place of the bill (A578), the governor recommended the Legislature agree to direct the state Division of Criminal Justice to study drug overdose reporting and to provide his administration and lawmakers with a recommendation on a comprehensive approach to the problem.

The governor’s office declined further comment.

Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex), a primary sponsor of the bill, said Christie was stalling.

"All this does is kick the can down the road," Vitale said. "While I appreciate the fact that the governor wants to be supportive and helpful, we’ve had a series of conversations with the Attorney General’s Office and they weren’t able to articulate a position that made any sense."

But Vitale added he would have more discussions to reach consensus on the bill.

He has previously said the bill was designed to encourage witnesses of drug overdoses to seek help for the victim without fear of being prosecuted. But some Republican lawmakers, such as Sen. Gerald Cardinale (R-Bergen), feared the bill would give "criminal cover" to drug dealers.